Tuesday, January 17, 2023

The Civil War of Amos Abernathy by Michael Leali


 Amos Abernathy and his best friend, Chloe, volunteer at a living history park. Amos, who is white, and Chloe, who is Black, are joined by a new volunteer, Ben. Amos develops a crush on Ben, but it is not well-received by Ben's conservative family. Along the way the kids realize that many voices are missing from their living history park--including LGBTQ+ and African American voices. They research a new exhibit that will bring in new stories, including the story of Albert D.J. Cashier, a Civil War soldier who may have identified as a trans man if he were living today. The story flips between past and present as the kids plan a project and implement it, and as the tenuous relationship between Amos and Ben is tested. This book about crusading kids would go well with Alice Austen Lived Here by Alex Gino.  

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